Letter Twenty-Six:
Understanding the Love and Wrath of God
My Dear Family,
In our household, we must understand God’s love and wrath to get along with Him. The two seem so opposed to one another, but they are not totally unrelated. We will not understand God’s love if we water it down to mere “tolerance,” as our culture does. The fact of the matter is that God has much tolerance for people but absolutely zero tolerance for sin.
The core issue is God’s holiness. Holiness is more than just abiding by a code of moral conduct. Holiness is God’s radiant, beautiful, terrifying, yes, even burning purity that consumes all that is contrary to His will. When one encounters God’s holiness anywhere in Scripture, it is both terrifying and exhilarating, leaving that person wondering if they will even survive. That same holiness translates into God’s wrath when He reveals himself in judgment.
To understand the love and wrath of God we must appreciate who He is rather than reducing Him to our own ideas. God’s wrath is the expression of His zealous, yes, and even jealous love for us, similar to a husband’s natural jealous love for his wife. When a person or culture loves and worships the creature above the Creator, that person is “given over” to God’s wrath. He made us for Himself, and he knows we cannot be truly happy without Him.
This is what is behind St. Paul’s teaching about same-sex acts in Romans 1. He uses this sin as an example, not of the worst sin, but one typical of the Gentiles. The “pagans” are “given over” to God’s wrath because of not abiding by the knowledge they have by nature, just as the Jews are under God’s wrath for not abiding by the law of God’s covenant. To “give over” means God no longer works to restrain that person from destructive actions and their consequences. For St. Paul, it is not so much that those who engage in same-sex acts will experience God’s wrath in the future judgment, but that they are already experiencing God’s wrath in their lives.
In contrast, God designed all of us, no matter who we are, for a deep, fulfilling love life with Him. What we seek in forbidden love, whether it is heterosexual or homosexual, is idolatry. Idols make poor lovers; Jesus’ love for you is full of zeal and challenges us to be holy, just as He is holy.
Yours in Christ,
Father John Worgul
Takeaway
God’s love and wrath are linked through His holiness. His love is zealous and calls us to holiness, while His wrath is the result of turning away from Him and pursuing idolatry. True fulfillment comes from embracing God’s design for our lives.
Discussion Questions
- How do you understand the relationship between God’s love and His wrath? Are they two distinct qualities, or do they work together?
- How does the idea of God’s holiness shape your understanding of His love and judgment?
- In what ways can we avoid reducing God’s love to mere “tolerance”? How can we better reflect His zealous love in our own lives?